The Kirkus Prize is one of the richest literary awards in the world, with a prize of $50,000 bestowed annually to authors of fiction, nonfiction and young readers’ literature. It was created to celebrate the 81 years of discerning, thoughtful criticism Kirkus Reviews has contributed to both the publishing industry and readers at large. Books that earned the Kirkus Star with publication dates between November 1, 2014, and October 31, 2015 (see FAQ for exceptions), are automatically nominated for the 2015 Kirkus Prize, and the winners will be selected on October 15, 2015, by an esteemed panel composed of nationally respected writers and highly regarded booksellers, librarians and Kirkus critics.

KIRKUS REVIEW

This slim guide, clocking in at barely 150 pages, will be helpful for prom neophytes who don't get their questions answered by the prom issues of Seventeen and Teen Vogue.

Split into four sections, this book covers planning, the day and night itself, and post-prom. The planning section is the most thorough, with useful information on making a budget for prom and how to rent a limo, among other topics. The beauty tips in the prom-day section are very basic and limited; there's no advice on blush for girls with darker skin, and all but one of the suggested hairstyles is for shoulder-length or longer hair. It's commendable that the prom-night section highlights do-it-yourself after-prom events, and the post-prom section recommends donating or selling the prom dress. The note pages, fantasy boards and scrapbook pages feel rather quaint in this day of Pinterest and Tumblr, though they do add extra padding to this slight work.

There's limited value in this book, but teen girls who want to be part of the crowd will snatch up this cookie-cutter guide nevertheless. (Nonfiction. 14 & up)

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